Catch A Break
by seaoftrouble
Summary: Oz can't help but notice that Cameron hasn't been acting like himself lately. Contains spanking of an adult.


Yet another Breaking In Fic! I'm in a mood, so this one is a little depressing. Also, **contains spanking of an adult. **

Catch_A_Break

contra_security

10:08am friday

Cameron Price looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and saw that he looked exactly like he felt. For lack of any better way to describe it, he look like shit. He skin was pale and his eyes were glassy and he didn't know what the hell was going on with his hair. He felt like his whole body was shaking and the lights in the bathroom were way too bright.

He suddenly felt his stomach lurch in protest again and he barely made it back into the stall before he threw up for what seemed to be the hundredth time that morning. He slumped against the porcelain and the coldness of it made his skin feel like it was on fire. When he finally managed to stagger back to the sink, he nearly fell over when he saw Oz standing behind him.

"Jesus, where the hell did you come from?" He asked his boss as he glanced at the door, which was still clearly still locked. He braced his hands on either side of the sink and tried not to be sick again. He didn't have the will to seriously wonder what hidden door Oz had to the bathroom, or why.

"Not important. What's up, buttercup?" Oz asked the younger man as he leaned against the wall behind Cameron.

"Ugh, nothing. I'm just not feeling well this morning" The hacker respond as he struggled to turn the faucet on and splash water on his face.

"Would it have anything to do with the copious amounts of alcohol you've been ingesting lately?" Oz asked. Oz didn't have to be Oz to figure out that the younger man had been drinking. The kid reeked of booze and was obviously suffering from one hell of a hangover.

Cameron squeezed his eyes together tightly. _Why was Oz talking so damn loud? _

"Can we not do this right now?" Cameron asked, although it came out as more of a whine. He knew he should have just called into work sick. He figured Oz would have shown up at his apartment anyway, but he would have a least gotten a few hours of solitude to nurse his hangover without his boss torturing him.

"It's a good of time as any" Oz said with a shrug. He reached in front of Cameron and turned the water off before handing the other man a paper towel. The hacker dabbed at his face before letting the towel fall back into the sink.

"What do you want?" The Cameron asked, clearly annoyed. His miserable state was clearly interfering with his judgment in the how-to-talk-to-Oz department.

"I want to know why you're red-eyed and bushy-tongued and praying to the porcelain gods" Oz said, determined to get some answers out of him.

"What?" Cameron tried to process what his boss had just said, but his head was pounding and he decided it wasn't worth the effort, "It's none of your business" Cameron grumbled as he gripped the edges of the sink tighter. The talking and the thinking were seriously messing with his efforts not to collapse right there on the bathroom floor.

"Hey, you work for me, so it is my business" Oz said sternly, hoping a slightly more serious tone would at least get the younger man to look at him, but, no such luck. Cameron's only response was to rub at his face and groan.

Oz grabbed Cameron by the shoulders and gave him a small shake.

"Look at me," Oz demanded, not missing the fruity, stale smell of alcohol on Cameron's breath, "Are you still drunk?"

"I don't know. Probably" Cameron said with a glare.

"Dammit, Cameron" Oz said with a sigh.

The young hacker didn't quiet know how it happened, but Oz had dragged him through a short series of hallways and they were suddenly in Oz's office.

Oz released his grip on the other man and let him collapse on the couch before he rummaged through his desk and pulled out a glass bottle with letters that Cameron didn't recognize. The twisted the cap off the bottle and thrust it into the younger man's hands.

"Drink up,Cam. It will make you feel a little less like dying" Oz commanded. He stood in front of the hacker with his arms crossed, waiting.

Cameron sniffed the bottle and nearly threw up again. It smelled like death. No, it smelled worse than death.

"What the hell is this?" Cameron asked, repulsed.

"Drink it, if you know what's good for you. Don't worry, it all organic"

Cameron didn't miss the deadly glare coming from his boss, so he swallowed the contents of the small bottle, and amazingly, didn't throw up. He was surprised that it didn't taste as bad as it smelled and he actually felt the tiniest bit better.

"Better?" Oz asked.

"A little" Cameron admitted.

"Good" The older man said he as stood and then proceeded to pull Cameron up. Oz steered him away from the couch and the younger man nearly fell over as his boss pushed him down over the desk.

Cameron groaned as he felt Oz's strong hand on his lower back. He knew what was coming next.

Oz's hand hurt just as much as Cam remembered. The older man landed a series of hard smacks to his backside.

"I won't tell you to not drink, Cameron. Hell, it's one of my favorite things to do, but binge drinking for days straight and coming to work still drunk from the night before? Not gonna fly, buddy" Oz lectured as he continued to smack his hacker's backside.

"It won't happen again, will it?" Oz asked, not slowing his pace at all.

"No!" Cameron groaned. He couldn't decided if his ass or his head hurt worse. Oz kept spanking him for a good thirty seconds more before hauling him up and depositing him back on the couch. Oz resumed his place leaning against the desk and watched Cameron squirm uncomfortably before he spoke again.

"Now, tell me why you've spent the last three nights getting shit faced" Oz demanded.

Cameron hung his head and covered his face before he spoke.

"I'm just going through a rough patch" He said quietly.

"Clearly. Tell me why that is" Oz said. He knew exactly what was bothering the younger man, but he needed Cameron to say it out loud. He had let Cameron's behavior slide for a few days, but Cameron seemed to only be getting worse. Oz wasn't going to have that.

"I—I miss Mel, and I'm sorry I made her leave. I should have listened to you" Cameron said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Cameron...hey, buddy, look at me" Oz said gently. Emotional Cameron made him a little uneasy. The young hacker wasn't like the woman he was in love with. He couldn't run away from his emotions like Melanie did. It was a lot easier for Oz to deal with Mel's emotions, or lack there of.

Cameron looked up at his boss and seeing the tears in his eyes made Oz feel like someone had just sucker punched him. He tortured his team on a daily basis, but seeing one of them in real pain wasn't something that he could stand.

"You didn't do anything wrong, kid. It's something that she has to work out. I know what I said, but you love her and theres no ignoring that" Oz said.

Cameron dropped his head again and pressed his hands tightly against his face, as if he could stop the tears from falling. Oz sat down on the couch next to Cameron and put his arm around the younger man, which only made Cam cry harder. Oz rested his hand on the younger man's head and pulled him to his chest.

"Shh, it will all work out" he said quietly. Cameron kept his hands over his face, but let himself be pulled into a hug. He still felt like shit, and his mind was whirling with emotions, but he found some solace in the moment because when Oz said something, Cameron couldn't help but believe it.


End file.
